Weft replenishing mechanism for looms



Aug. 6, 1935 A. JARVIS WEFT REPLENISHI NG MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed March 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TOR. i004 FHA/5 JFR v/s Aug. 6, 1935.

A. JARVIS WEFT REPLENI SHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed March 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTO Duyn Jewett,

Patented Aug. 6, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WEFT REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Application March 19, 1934, Serial No. 716,377

6 Claims.

My present invention relates to looms and par ticularly to improvements in replenishing or shuttle changing mechanism for box looms.

In the co-pending applications of William Van Serial Numbers 671,211 and 677,937, there are shown upper and lower electric weft detectors or feelers in connection with a loom or" the Stafford type having two shuttle boxes which are shifted with respect to the lay by known mechanism, so that the shuttles in the boxes are raised and lowered and the weft therein is detected alternately by the feelers. There is also shown, in said applications, a latch member on the breast-beam operated by an electromagnet which is energized bythe detectors to stop the loom during operation of the replenishing mechanism, which occurs after one of the feelers detects the need of replenishment. The respective shuttles carry bobbins wound with yarn of different characteristics or coloring, and it is essential that the shuttle which is substantially exhausted of yarn be replaced by one containing yarn of the same character.

- In the present invention I preferably utilize the stated arrangement of the two electric feelers and electro-magnet for the purposes specified,

but instead of having a single magazine as in the said Jewett applications, I provide a double or rnulti-compartment magazine, that is, a magazine having compartments corresponding in number to the boxes, and each compartment of the magazine containing shuttles with yarn corresponding to that in a particular box.

With the foregoing in mind, the principal objects of the present invention are'to provide means for selecting which of the compartments is to furnish a shuttle to the replenishing mechanism, such means being operated in synchronism with or by the mechanism which controls the box motion or shifting of the shuttles in the respective boxes, so that the magazine compartment which is to be opened to furnish a shuttle for replenishment will correspond to the box in which the shuttle has just been detected as needing replenishment. In other words, the invention provides a multi-chamber magazine to contain a reserve supply of shuttles, and corresponding shuttle boxes operated by the box motion with the provision of means for assuring that the shuttle which is substantially exhausted will be replaced by one having yarn of the same character.

The foregoing and other general and specific objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and will be referred to during the there is mounted a gate i3 and at the rear of the to provide a tail 2B.

course of the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings, wherein the parts are not shown exactly to scale, and in which Fig. l is a front elevation of a supply magazine, the selector mechanism, and portions of the ac- 5 tuator for the selector, and the conveyor;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation looking in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the letter B indicates a fragment of the breast-beam at the replenishing end of the loom, C designates generally the conveyor of the replenishing mechanism for carrying the shuttles S from the magazine M to the lay. A bracket or support D is mounted on the breast-beam B, and a stub shaft E is connected with the magazine and is received in the upper end of the bracket D, so that the magazine is rigidly supported at desired position at the replenishing end of the loom. Each compartment of the magazine is formed preferably by joining substantially V-shaped end pieces 4 and outer plates 5, each of which is provided with lugs or cars 6 through which are mounted screws 1 to receive nuts I to hold the plates together forming compartments of substantially the shape and size of the shuttles. Obviously by adjusting the screws 1 the width of the compartments may be varied. Extending beneath the compartments adjacent the ends of the magazine are strips 8 secured to the front plates 5 as by bolts 9, the said strips being spaced apart a distance greater than the length of the platform I!) of the conveyor for reasons presently explained. The front and rear plates of the magazine are each provided with alined spaced lugs or ears I l, l l respectively, which receive rods or shafts l2, [2' respectively. At the front of the magazine on the shaft 12,

magazine on the shaft I2 a gate I4. Each of the gates, as shown best in Fig. 3, has inwardly extending arms i 5 on which the lowermost shuttles in their respective compartments rest when l8 connected to the shaft l2 to normally hold the gates in the full line position of Fig. 3 supporting the stacks of shuttles. One end of the shaft I2 is bent outwardly as at 9 and then downwardly A corresponding end of the shaft I2 is bentforwardly at one end of the magazine to provide an extension 2| on which is carried a lug or block 22 supporting a pin 23 disposed in slot of a link 25. A bracket 25 is mounted on the breast-beam and has an upward projection 21 provided with a bore through which is mounted one end 28 of a shaft or rod connected to the link 25 by screws 25'. The rod 28 is bent forwardly at 29 and then downwardly to provide a tail 38 similar to the tail on the shaft !2.

The bracket is also provided with a lug or ear 3! in alineinent with the projection 27, and a rod is journaled through openings in said ear and projection 2? and is bent downwardly at one end to provide a tail disposed in front of the conveyor platform it. At its other end the rod 3'3 is provided with a pin 34 disposed in the slot in one end of a bell crank lever 35 which is journaled on the bracket 26 at 3'5, and connected at its other end at to a rod or shaft 39. The rod or shaft 39 is reciprocated up and down under the action of a cam or equivalent mechanism (not shown) and actuated by the box motion mechanism. In other words, as the boxes move up and down the rod a so moves up and down in synchronism therewith, and the up and down movement of the rod 39 rocks the bell crank 36 on its pivot 31, during which movement the pin 56% is moved by engagement with the sides of the slots 35 to move the rod 32 laterally back and forth a predetermined distance.

A plate or lifter is connected to and carried by rod 32 for reciprocating movement therewith, so that in one position of the rod 32 the plate or lifter 4G is disposed behind the tail 30 and in another position behind the tail 2S.

As is well known, in connection with Stafford looms, the conveyor platform carried by the shaft M, is actuated by mechanism. not shown in this application, but shown in said Jewett application, Ser. No. 671,211 and also in Ser. No. 677,937. When a shuttle is to be replaced the shaft 55 first moves forwardly so that the platform 69 en gages the tail 33 turning the rod and consequently the lifter it. As the lifter it moves forwardly and upwardly it engage the tail it or the tail 38, according to the position determined by the said bell crank and box motion mechanism actuating the rod 39. Assuming that the front compartment of the magazine contains shuttles corresponding to those in the upper box of the loom, and the rear compartment contains shuttles corresponding to those in the lower box of the loom,'if the upper feeler detects substantial exhaustion of weft in the shuttle in the upper box the electro-magnet is energized to stop the loom, whereupon the conveyor mechanism is actuated, moving the tail 33 and rod 32 as above explained. The loom will have stopped with the lifter dd behind the tail 26 when substantial exhaustion of weft is detected in the upper box, and, therefore, the lifter so will raise the tail 2E3 turning shaft i2 and consequently gate 63 against the action of spring i6 permitting the lowermost shuttle in the front magazine compartment to fall on the strips 8. The next movement of the conveyor is rearward toward the lay, and during such movement the upstanding lugs 52 on the front of the conveyor i 8 will move the shuttle off of the strips 8 on to the platform, so that the shuttle will be carried to the lay for replenishment in known manner. During the rearward movement of the conveyor the tail 33 is lowered, turning rod 3?.

reversely and consequently lowering lifter 4E! and tail 2d and permitting the spring is to close the gate, so that the arms E5 on the gate will engage under the then lowermost shuttle in the compartment to support the stack of shuttles in said compartment.

Assuming that it was the shuttle in the lower box which was substantially exhausted, upon detection of such condition, the lifter i-ii would have been disposed behind the tail 313 due to the syn chronism of the movements of the rod 39 with the box motion. In such case, when the tail 33 was moved upwardly and forwardly by the conveyor, the lifter on rod 52 would have entail 3E lifting it and turning rod so that the linlr'iiii would move from the full line to the dotted line position of Fig. 3 turning the shaft 52 due to the engagement of the pin 23 in the slot E i and consequently opening the gate of the rear compartment and permitting the lowermost shuttle therein to fall on the strips 8 to be picked up the conveyor in the manner previously explained, after which the spring closes the gate to support the remaining shuttles.

I have found in actual practice that the construction and arrangement of parts hereinabove described may readily be adapted to plain autornatic shuttle changing looms to convert them into automatic shuttle changing box looms, and that the operation of such converted looms is extremely accurate and satisfactory.

I claim:

1. Weft replenishing mechanism for box looms of the type having a pair of boxes which shift alternately with respect to the lay and mechanism for shifting said boxes, comprising a shuttle supply magazine having a pair of compartments to hold shuttles with the bobbins in the said shuttles of one compartment containing yarn of the same character as that in the shuttle in one of said boxes and the shuttles in the other compartment containing yarn of the same character as that in the shuttle in the other box, a support for the shuttles in each of said compartments, a

conveyor to carry a shuttle from one of said compartments to the lay for replenishment, an actuator for each of said supports, a member operable by said conveyor to move said actuators, and means synchronized with the movements of the boxes to selectively position said member with respect to the actuators for the purpose described.

Weft replenishing mechanism for box looms of the type having a pair of boxes which shift alternately with respect to the lay and mechanism for shifting said boxes, comprising a shuttle supply magazine having a pair of compartments to hold shuttles with the bobbins in the said shuttles of one compartment containing yarn of the same character as that in the shuttle in one of said boxes and the shuttles in the other compartment containing yarn of the same character as that in the shuttle in the other box, a movable support for the shuttles in each of said compartments, 2. plate adjacent each end of the magazine extending thereacross beneath both of said compartments, a conveyor between said plates and below said compartments, an actuator for each of said supports, a member operable by said conveyor to move said actuators, means synchronized with the movements of the boxes to selectively position said member with respect to the actuators for movement by said conveyor to release one of said supports and a shuttle fromone of said compartments on to said plates, and means on the conveyor to remove the shuttle from said plates and carry it to the lay.

3. Weft replenishing mechanism for box looms of the type having a pair of boxes which shift alternately with respect to the lay and mechanism for shifting said boxes, comprising a shuttle supply magazine having a pair of compartments to hold shuttles with the bobbins in the said shuttles of one compartment containing yarn of the same character as that in the shuttle in one of said boxes and the shuttles in the other compartment) containing yarn of the same character as that in the shuttle in the other box, a gate for each compartment, said gates having inwardly extending arms supporting the shuttles in said compartment, a rod pivotally supporting each of said gates, means connected with each of said rods disposed in spaced alined relation and operable to turn said rods, a third rod pivotally and slidably mounted adjacent said means, a member on said third rod movable therewith into alinement with said means in synchronism with the movements of said boxes, a conveyor to carry shuttles from said magazine to the lay, and an extension on said third rod in the path of said conveyor movable thereby to rotate said third rod, member thereon, and the means connected with one of said rods to open one of said gates and feed a shuttle corresponding to an exhausted shuttle to the conveyor.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein the conveyor is normally located below the compartments and gates, and a pair of supports are provided adjacent the ends of the magazine one on each side of the conveyor to receive the shuttle which is released, and the conveyor is provided with means to move the shuttle off of said supports and carry it to the lay.

5. Weft replenishing mechanism for box looms of the type having a pair of boxes which shift alternately with respect to the lay and mechanism for shifting said boxes, comprising a shuttle supply magazine having a pair of compartments to hold shuttles with the bobbins in the said shuttles of one compartment containing yarn of the same character as that in the shuttle in one of said boxes and the shuttles in the other compartment containing yarn of the same character as that in the shuttle in the other box, a gate for each compartment, said gates having inwardly extending arms supporting the shuttles in said compartment, a rod pivotally supporting each of said gates, means connected with each of said rods disposed in spaced alined relation and operable to turn said rods, a third rod pivotally and slidably mounted adjacent said means, a bell crank operatively connected with one end of said third rod, means to oscillate said bell crank in synchronism with the movements of the boxes across said means on said first rod, a member on said third rod movable therewith alternately into alinement with said means, a conveyor beneath the magazine movable forwardly and rearwardly, and an extension on said third rod movable therewith during reciprocating movements under the action of said bell crank and disposed in the path of the conveyor during forward movement thereof, said extension being movable by the forward movement of the conveyor to rotate said third rod, member, and the means connected with one of said rods to open one of said gates and feed a shuttle corresponding to an exhausted shuttle to the conveyor to be carried thereby during its rearward move ment to the lay.

6. Weft replenishing mechanism for box looms of the type having a pair of boxes which shift alternately with respect to the lay and mechanism for shifting said boxes, comprising a shuttle supply magazine having a pair of compartments to hold shuttles with the bobbins in the said shuttles of one compartment containing yarn of the same character as that in the shuttle in one of said; boxesiand the shuttles in the other compartment containing yarn of the same character as that in the shuttle in the other box, a gate for the front compartment, and a gate for the rear compartment each provided with means to support the shuttles in the said compartments, rods pivotally supporting the gates for swinging movement in opposite directions, means operatively associated with said rods for imparting said rotative movements thereto, a selector, means for reciprocating said selector, a member carried by said selector for reciprocating movement therewith into alined position with the said means for imparting rotative movement to the gates,anda conveyor beneath the magazine to receive shuttles therefrom and convey them to the lay and operable to move said selector and member thereon to impart rotative movements to the gates.

ADOLPHUS JARVIS. 

